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EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University travels to a familiar venue for its second straight trip to the PSAC Women's Basketball Tournament, trekking to Millersville for a 1 p.m. tipoff for the Warriors' first-round game on Saturday afternoon.

ESU (14-12, 9-7), the PSAC East's No. 5 seed, faces No. 4 Millersville (15-11, 10-6) in a rematch of last year's first-round game won by the Marauders, 42-31.

The Warriors' last three PSAC Tournament appearances have come at Pucillo Gymnasium. In 2008, fourth-seeded ESU lost 66-51 at top-seeded Millersville in the quarterfinals, and in 2007, the Warriors fell to California in the semifinals as Millersville hosted the PSAC Final Four.

Saturday's winner advances to the PSAC quarterfinals and a match-up at No. 1 Bloomsburg on Tuesday at 7 p.m. In the other half of the PSAC East bracket, No. 2 West Chester awaits the winner of No. 3 Shippensburg and No. 6 Kutztown.

The PSAC West has No. 1 seed Edinboro and No. 2 Gannon. No. 3 California hosts Seton Hill and No. 4 IUP hosts Pitt-Johnstown in the two first-round games.

The highest remaining see din the PSAC West after Tuesday's quarterfinals will host the PSAC Final Four on March 8-9.

ESU and Millersville split their regular season meetings with both schools winning on their own floor. Millersville took the first meeting, 75-64, on December 7 and ESU held off the Marauders, 57-54, on February 8 at Koehler Fieldhouse.

The Warriors' defense has been stingy all season, leading the 18-team PSAC in field goal percentage defense (37.3) and blocks (5.0 per game) while ranking 3rd in steals (10.5 per game) and 4th in scoring defense (62.9 ppg).

The Warriors are 8-1 when allowing less than 60 points per game, and opponents have shot better than 40 percent in just eight of 26 games this season.

Millersville is 2nd in field goal defense (38.3) and 8th in scoring defense (67.3 ppg) - bringing a low-scoring game into play again this weekend after last year's 42-31 affair.

ESU is led by its frontcourt tandem of junior Jessica Martin (13.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg), who leads the PSAC with 2.8 blocks per game, and freshman Allison Howard (11.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg), a four-time PSAC East Freshman of the Week who leads the Warriors with more than 28 minutes per game.

Martin, a two-time All-PSAC East second team pick, is coming off a 20-point, 16-rebound performance in a 75-69 loss to West Chester on Wednesday for her 11th double-double of the season and 21st of her career. She had 18 points and 11 rebounds in ESU's win over Millersville and 11 points and five boards in the first meeting.

Howard, who did not play Wednesday against West Chester due to injury, has had one of ESU's top seasons by a freshman. She ranks fifth on the Warriors' freshman list in scoring (282 points) behind four of the top 10 scorers in program history, and tied for second in rebounds (178), trailing only Martin's 195 boards two years ago.

Junior guard Ryann Fiascki is ESU's third-leading scorer (9.0 ppg) and second in assists (59) in her third season as a starter. She scored a season-high 18 points on January 4 against Clarion and has scored at least seven points in 15 of the last 18 games.

Senior guard Halie Cintron (5.9 ppg) is averaging 9.3 points in the last seven games since moving into the starting lineup, including a career-high 15 points on five three-pointers against West Chester on Wednesday.

Sophomore guard Melissa Poderis has started 24 of ESU's 26 games and has been very efficient in the backcourt, with 71 assists against just 44 turnovers while averaging 4.8 points per game.

Sophomore guard Helena Gemmell is the top threat off the bench with 4.7 points per game and ranks fifth in the PSAC with 60 steals per game, including nine in a home win over Lock Haven in December.

Sophomore center Michelle Boggs (4.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg) has turned in three double-figure scoring games in the last month, including her first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds on February 12 at Shippensburg.

Freshman guard Audrey Stapleton has played in all 26 games and started 10 in the middle of the season, averaging 3.6 points per game in just under 17 minutes.

The rest of the bench includes junior forward Kelsey Murray (3.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg), sophomore guard Tyeca Reviere (3.0 ppg, 1.5 apg), freshman guard Rachel Falkowski (1.6 ppg, 0.9 rpg) and freshman forward Madison Tamburini (1.3 ppg, 1.2 rpg).

The Warriors have 11 players who have seen action in 22 or more games this year.

Millersville is paced offensively by redshirt junior guard Carly Gallagher (14.7 ppg) and sophomore guard Celeste Robinson (13.4 ppg). Sophomore forward Yasmin Cooper posts 9.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, ninth in the PSAC.

Gallagher is 12th in the PSAC in scoring, including 23 in ESU's win three weeks ago. Senior guard Senada Mehmedovic (8.9 ppg) led Millersville with 20 points in its win in December.

This is ESU's 13th appearance in the PSAC Tournament since 1981. The Warriors are 6-11 in their previous 12 trips and won the 1994-95 PSAC championship, the only conference title in school history.

Millersville is in the PSAC Tournament for the 18th straight year (since 1996-97) and has won titles in 1983-84, 1986-87 and 2004-05. The Marauders advanced to the semifinals for the ninth time in the last 11 seasons last winter.